Is Life Without the Internet Possible?

{Photo: Tablet by Esther Vargas. License CC}

When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things that I do to come out of my state of grogginess is check my Facebook and Instagram. I put my phone down while I get ready for my classes, but I’m back on it requesting an Uber before I can be on my way. Some mornings I go to my work-study job, where I spend almost the entire shift sending and receiving emails. I go to class, and throughout the day I’m keeping up with my friends via WhatsApp and Snapchat. Once my classes are finished, I request another Uber to take me home. As the night falls, I can probably be found binge watching Netflix, scrolling through social media platforms, or looking up random things on the internet while putting off my actual responsibilities. I listen to music on Spotify, then I go to sleep to repeat the process again the next day. My daily routine and my internet habits have become integrated, which begins to pose the question: “Could I live without the internet?”

I personally think that it would be an adjustment because the internet is very much integrated into my daily life (I think most college students would agree). That being said, I really don’t think it’s impossible, but my days would be completely different. No uber means I would have to walk or take a bus, no way to send emails would make the work that I do for my work-study completely obsolete, and no social media would drastically change the way I keep up with and connect with my peers (especially those in Florida). BUT, let’s be honest, the only thing that makes living without the internet so “difficult” is that our society has become so accustomed to using it. I love the internet, and I think that it’s a powerful tool for seeking information and interacting with people on a global scale. As great as it is though, the world wouldn’t end without its existence. People would still live their lives using phones, the postal system, television, newspapers, and books to connect with people and expand their knowledge. At the end of the day though, the internet isn’t going anywhere. It’s too widely used, and it’s much more convenient than the alternatives for communicating and researching. Good thing for me, because I can keep writing blog posts like this one. Hasta la próxima, amor y paz.